How “Copywriting” Got Its Name
Some may be rather confused by the word “copywriting”. After all, what does copying have to do with writing?
The simplest way to answer that question is this: every writer borrows from other writers; that is, no one starts completely from scratch. Advertising writer are just more upfront about the process.
This should make perfect sense if you consider the purpose of advertising: to trigger certain emotional responses in the prospect and move them to take a specific action. If the advertising moves the prospect to take the desired action, the writing has fulfilled its purpose.
Copywriters recognize that human beings are complex. Exactly what motivates us to take action is often unclear.
Copywriters will usually start with an advertising piece that they know is effective, and will borrow elements. Every area of a sales letter is modeled from an earlier, successful piece, starting with the headline.
A classic headline from the last headline went like this: “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play…”. This headline has been the basis of hundreds of hundreds of later headlines. Why is it effective? Because there are emotionally charged ideas present. The skilled writer knows how to use this.
It’s usually the case that certain elements are present in successful headlines.
Numbers can be an effective means of drawing the reader in. Consider headlines like, “The Five Steps You Must Take…” or the “Seven Tricks…”. The mind sometimes loves specific numbers.
Another often used technique is the words “secrets”. People in general like the concept of gaining a hidden knowledge that will give them an advantage. On the other hand, people also don’t like the idea of others obtaining this “secret” knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves.
The last widely used element I’ll mention today is the utilization of a story in a headline. It’s possible to tell a “story” with just a few words. One of the most famous is the “One Legged Golfer” headline. It’s an absolutely true story, and I shall point out that the greatest stories are often the true ones.
If we were to put these three elements together, we could write a headline like the following:
“Blind Welfare Mother of Three Discovers the 5 Hidden Secrets To Opening a Checking Account, Even If You’re On ChexSystems ‘Black List’ “.
I hope this article has been helpful, and that you see that when copywriters “copy”, they are borrowing ideas, not actual words of other writers.
Filed under: Copywriting